1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic-circuit-component supplying method of supplying electronic circuit components in the form of component supplying tape or component tape, a method of providing an identification code in the component tape, and a method of providing information in the component supplying tape. The invention also relates to a component-tape connecting member, a connecting-member supplying device, an electronic-circuit-component supplying system and an electronic-circuit-component mounting system which are favorable for carrying out the above-described methods.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As one form of electronic-circuit-component supplying system, there is a system including a tape feeder arranged to feed a component tape which includes a carrier tape and a plurality of electronic circuit components arranged in a longitudinal direction of the carrier tape, in the longitudinal direction of the carrier tape, for thereby positioning each of the plurality of electronic circuit components in a predetermined supplying position. In such a form of electronic circuit component supplying system, if a wrong component tape which is different in kind from a predetermined one were erroneously installed on the tape feeder, unexpected electronic circuit components would be supplied. For example, where the electronic circuit component supplying system is used as a part of electronic circuit component mounting system for assembling an electronic circuit by mounting electronic circuit components onto a circuit board such as a printed-wiring board, unexpected electronic circuit components are mounted on the circuit board in the event of erroneous installation of a wrong component tape on the tape feeder, resulting in fabrication of defective electronic circuit.
For avoiding occurrence of such an inconvenience, conventionally, an identification information is provided in a tape reel, a tape storing box or other member which stores the component tape, wherein the identification information relates to the electronic circuit components of the component tape. The identification information is provided in the member storing the component tape, by printing a bar code, a two-dimensional code or other identification code onto the storing member, or by affixing a label having a printed identification code, onto the storing member. For example, when the component tape is installed on the tape feeder, the identification code is recognized by an identification-code recognizing device such as a bar code reader, whereby it is determined whether the recognized identification code corresponds to a predetermined identification code or not. If not, an operator of the system is informed of the fact (for example, see Patent Document 1)). This kind of system will be referred to as erroneous-installation preventing system in the present specification.
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-271089